General Premier League Thread 2022-23 - mod note in OP 12/03/23

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119836398#Comment_119836398

Don’t think there’s a manager in the world can get Costa firing… he’s been a shell of himself for years now, regardless whether he’s working with new managers, or guys who know him inside out like Simeone. His physical decline really was precipitous.

Jimenez is out injured. Think there was an acceptance that he wasn’t going to be back fit any time soon, so they let him do recovery over in Mexico for a few weeks, with a Wolves fitness guy with him. He’s back at Wolves now though.

Fitz*

Fulham keeper will be disappointed with that goal he conceded. Could have done better.

MurDawg

Refs are being treated very badly this year. It's the worst I've ever seen it.

Any player arguing with ref that's not captain should equal auto yellow.

Mars Bar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119837308#Comment_119837308

And as someone who runs a football league I can tell you that coaches and kids at grassroots are copying it

We've banned one coach for ref abuse this week and a 9 year old got a ban because of the words he used towards the referee last weekend. It's a joke

Yes, our refs are awful too but they don't have the help that the professionals have so you would hope some people would have a bit of cop on

machiavellianme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119837308#Comment_119837308

How long did it take Cancelo to actually leave the pitch? He was on his way, then went back to swarm the referee with half his team and eventually went and had a chat with Pep before even thinking about going down the tunnel.

Fitz*

Some big turnarounds in the games today with Leeds & Brighton winning

Soups123

Dreadful peno given for city barely touched

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119837606#Comment_119837606

That Leeds game must have been mad.

Mars Bar

There is no way anyone naturally falls like that with a tackle like that. But still really stupid of the defender to go in like that.

BorneTobyWilde

Crazy penalty, the guy brushed the leg of DeBruyne, who 1 second later falls to the ground like he was shot, so the dive is evident, but the contact was also, but the brush didn't cause the reaction of getting floored.

It's a contact sport, so why isn't every brush a foul or a penalty, it's the dive that brought it about. Replay shows this, the contact, no reaction, second later sniper.

BorneTobyWilde

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119837629#Comment_119837629

100% brushed him

100% dived second later

You think VAR would see this

machiavellianme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119837612#Comment_119837612

Ruins the game when obvious spinning dives are rewarded. City deserved nothing from that.

Bluebb993

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119837413#Comment_119837413

Player can stay on the pitch while they do their 2/3min VAR check on it.

Arghus

Very soft decision saved them in the end.

Soups123

The Var for that peno and the Celtic game earlier just makes a mockery of it all. Referees can make mistake in the moments of play no excuse for VAR allowing those peno’s stand

djan

After that dive was given as a penalty, City can't have any complaints about the officiating. VAR is so inconsistent, think its usage of only on clear and obvious errors should be scrapped and just used all the time.

BillyHasMates

City do seem to continuously come out the right side of these types of contentious ref / var situations, almost suspiciously so.

Bluebb993

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119837678#Comment_119837678

Taught Fulham were very lucky to not be down to 10 after 7 minutes. Pereria raked down the calf of Rodri. Been worse tackles giving red this year

theoneeyedman

Joke of a decision.

The saddest part is that the poor refereeing standards have allowed actions like De Bruyne's dive to become normalised, on the stream I was watching it wasn't commented on at all, just that the penalty was awarded. What a con job.

It's all a bit pointless at this stage isn't it.

You have De Bruyne barely touched, clearly not enough to fall over or even stumble, but De Bruyne knows if he throws himself down the ref will give that call if he's seen the slightest contact. The ref imo, is then thinking that if it's not a foul the VAR will help out and get the right call in the end. The VAR though sees there's definitely contact of some nature and so he can't call it as a definitive dive. Its a complete mess and poison at this stage.

Make no bones about it, even though there was the slighted of contact, that was a blatant dive by De Bruyne. Instead of him getting a yellow card for simulation (imo this should be minimum 1 game ban), he wins a penalty and a massive 2 points extra for City. There is no risk reward here, he knows that in the present situation of dreadful refereeing and VAR he must cheat, there is no downside to his actions. The entire thing is just rotten.

Feel for Fulham big time there. I think they'll be safe with a bit to spare this season, but that was a point stolen from them and hopefully it doesn't cost them big time by the seasons end.

If Arsenal manage to challenge for the title close to the wire or even win it (I really hope they do), they're about to learn that you need to be about 10 points better than City over an entire season to actually win the title as I've never seen a team right at the top come out the right side of so many huge and farcical calls. Liverpool last season should have won the PL title by 6/7 points, they lost it purely on the refereeing bias City receive.

The entire thing is a hard watch at this stage. Amazing that we are in a situation where you have VAR and tv replays to assist refs, yet over the past few years there has never been as much diving and cheating rewarded in the game.

BorneTobyWilde

I know that if Salah was on a yellow, and dived for a penalty like DeBruyne did, he'd get a second yellow and be sent off, but DeBruyne get's a penalty and applause

Fitz*

That's a complete dive from KDB. He flicked his legs up himself.

And it was bought completely by the refs. Once the ref gives it, VAR will try and find contact to not have to overrule. Once there is any sort of contact, even not enough to warrant a foul, VAR won't overrule.

giveitholly

Just seen the penalty now,some dive from De Bruyne,But will he be called out for it by the pundits? Looks like City are cheating their way to another title

EltonJohn69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119837797#Comment_119837797

Very soft penalty (going to be a week of more VAR talk) and infinite financial backing… it amazing that Pep can celebrate like that… not a fair fight

I'm close to being done with football now thanks to VAR and Nation States having free reign destroy the game.

EltonJohn69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119837824#Comment_119837824

There will always be referee mistakes var or no var….. but the nations state ownerships are a bit much…

BorneTobyWilde

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119837785#Comment_119837785

...

SlickRic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119837629#Comment_119837629

Imagine Salah doing what KDB did and getting a penalty. And imagine the outrage we'd all be experiencing.

Esse85

Why is it always the big teams that get most of the decisions in their favour?

When will this become a fair sport?

SlickRic

And by the way, it was bought by the refs because of the intimidation. He knew that he might owe them one, so it made that decision all the more likely.

I don't think it gets given if we don't see the Cancelo sending off and penalty in the first half.